Teahouse Trekking

Before beginning our hike we really didn't know what "teahouse trekking" meant.  We didn't find too much helpful info on the internet, so here's the jist:

• Teahouses are just basic lodges with a common room and a number of guest rooms.  The quality varies quite a bit.
• Hikers walk from one teahouse to the next for each night's accommodation.
• Most trekkers seem to stay at least two nights at a couple of different teahouses for acclimatization purposes. 
• Usually the teahouses have two different rates: one if you plan to eat your meals away from the teahouse and another, much lower rate if you eat dinner and breakfast at the teahouse.
• Food prices increase drastically with the altitude.  This seemed fair as with every hill we climbed a person (or animal) had to climb the same hill carrying the food.
• A huge benefit of hiking with a group was that our rooms were pre-booked.  We never arrived somewhere needing to look for a place to stay.  We saw several people looking for rooms each day, and although we know they didn't have luck at our teahouses, it seemed like they probably found a room somewhere.

The following is a rundown of the names of all of the teahouses where we stayed, which could prove useful for anyone planning a similar trek.  Bust first a list of our favorites and least favorites:

Favorites:

1. Ama Dablam Lodge in Kyanjumba - best food on the trail, toilet in room, well-insulated rooms, gas shower available, and an incredible view of Ama Dablam
2. Peaceful Lodge in Dingboche - good food, well-insulated rooms, gas shower available.

Least favorites:

1. Tashi Delek Lodge in Tengboche: cold, cold, cold rooms, with cracks in the walls letting the wind blow into our room from outside.
2. Sherpa Lodge in Loboche: bad food, bad rooms, and really bad bathrooms. 

Where we stayed:

Phakding: Hotel Shangri-La (1 night)
Namche Bazaar: Hotel Snowland (2 nights)
Tengboche: Tashi Delek Lodge (1 night)
Dingboche: Peaceful Lodge (2 nights)
Lobuche: Sherpa Lodge (1 night)
Gorak Shep: Buddha Lodge (1 night)
Pheriche: Hotel Nagarkot (1 night)
Kyangjuma: Ama Dablam Lodge (1 night)
Monjo: Chumo Guesthouse (1 night)
Lukla: Mera Lodge (1 night) (We loved this place in Lukla, but since it isn't along the trail we didn't include it as one of our favorites)

Rooms

Our room at Hotel Shangri-La in Phakding

Our room at Sherpa Lodge in Lobuche

Our room at Ama Dablam Lodge in Kyangjuma

Food

A menu along the EBC Trek.  The left side stays the same but the right side increases with the altitude.

The dinning/community room at the Hotel Snowland in Namche Bazaar

Sara enjoying chocolate pudding, her favorite dessert on the trail.

Toilets

The western-style toilet at Sherpa Lodge in Lobuche

The squat toilet at Hotel Nagarkot in Pheriche